Nigerian Air Force: Drone bombs Boko Haram base

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The Nigerian Air Force says a drone bombed a Boko Haram logistics base in the northeast, possibly hitting an ammunition depot and dealing a “major setback” to the Islamic extremists.

A statement from Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa said the first attack by an unmanned combat aerial vehicle took place when it was activated over a large gathering of vehicles a kilometer (mile) north of the Sambisa Forest, an insurgent stronghold.

It says multiple explosions and huge fire ball shown in an attached video suggest the drone hit an ammunition and fuel depot.

The military said Saturday that the air force has conducted 286 operations in a sustained aerial bombardment of the Sambisa Forest over the past month, covering an area of 157,000 square kilometers (60,618 square miles).

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Launched in July 2015, Africa Times is an independent participative online news site for Sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to empower all African voices through publishing content by a range of people, from academics to bloggers. We are dedicated to bringing the world an African view on life, up-to-date African news and analysis.